I need your help.
I had hoped to write a positive post about the great show I had last weekend and about the pieces that found new homes with new collectors. But that will have to wait until another day.
All four of the pieces below, plus two others which I unfortunately didn’t have photos of, were stolen from my booth at an outdoor show in Virginia the night of May 17-18, 2014.
When I last saw them as I closed up my tent last Saturday night, all of the pieces were mounted on artist’s canvas painted black. Geranium, below left, is 16″ w x 12″ h. Song of the Heart, below right, is 20″ h x 20″ w. City Streets, at the bottom of the page, is two panels from a triptych and each panel is 20″ h x 20″ w. They are all signed on the back of the canvas and my name, Cindy Grisdela, is free motion stitched onto the front of each piece. If you right-click on each photo, you’ll be able to pull up a larger image.
The two other pieces were smaller. Peacock Drive is 12″ x 12″ in pastel colors. It has an improvisational stripe including two small house shapes running horizontally, an upper blue border and a lower green one. Tropicana is 8″ x 8″ with an orange-red central block and blue borders.
The show has been notified, a police report has been filed, and I’m also posting the ones I have pictures of on www.LostQuilt.com.
If you see any of these quilts, or have any information about them, please email me at [email protected]. They are important to me and I would like to have them back!
Thanks in advance for your help.
Geranium 2014
Cindy Grisdela
Stolen May 18, 2014
Song of the Heart 2014 Cindy Grisdela Stolen May 18, 2014
City Streets (two panels of triptych) 2014 Cindy Grisdela Stolen May 18, 2014
Nicely done. Hope it bring results.
It’s unconscionable that someone would steal the art that you worked so hard to make. How can they live with themselves knowing every time they look at that fabric art – hanging in their home or office – they’ll be thinking,”Hey, I stole that.”
I hope you recover the pieces. You did the right thing in reporting the losses and using social media to spread the word.
Cindy, I’m appalled and very upset to read this!! How incredibly awful! I will do what I can to help you put the word out there about this theft.
Oh Cindy, I’m SO sorry to hear that! Incredibly awful is right. What about spreading the word through the local arts orgs to increase the sleuths?
Oh no! I’m so sorry this has happened. I hope that the quilts are found and the criminals are dealt with adequately.
You can do a reverse image search on Google to see if they show up on Etsy or elsewhere for sale.
Cindy, So sorry to hear this. I once had a whole box of garments stolen from an art center show that was in a Synagog. They showed up about 10 months later! Hope you get your lovely quilts back soon. Will pass this info on to my Facebook friends.
So sorry to hear this, Cindy. Hoping for a quick reunion for you and your work.
How awful. I will keep an eye out and will notify the guild. Keep an eye on eBay and etsey!
There is a group called Lost Quilt Come Home. They have a blog and are on Facebook. You can contact them to get your information even more widespread.
Oh Cindy. This is just awful. Here’s hoping they return home safe and sound.
Having your work stolen is something we all dread. Thieving bastard.
I am so sorry. I hope there is a happy ending one day.
Oh this is just terrible news for you. Words just fail me as to why someone would do this. Let us all concentrate positive thoughts and actions to speed the return of your work. I am so sorry to read this news.
That is so terrible! I hope good comes of your loss!
people who do this sort of thing do it because they have no creative imagination or thought about the time it takes to make a small piece of art. they are jealous of your abilities. i do hope whoever has taken these receives their own punishment – karma, karma.
I’m so sorry this has happened to you. Stay positive though, art was stolen from one of our exhibitions a while ago, we advertised it extensively and eventually got all 3 pieces back. The last piece was nearly a year later and just arrived in the post with a letter from anonymous. May I suggest that you add a postal address to your adverts where they can be returned to.
I am so sorry to hear about this. I will repost on FB and hopefully the news will spread!
What a dreadful thing to have happened Cindy. I do hope that you are able to get them back.
I’m sorry to hear that some of your work was stolen. I hope this helps spread the word and someone finds it!
My heart breaks for you. You were there spreading joy and happiness by sharing your beautiful work. I got to see your work in person in Madison Wisconsin. The quilting was so fun to see. I was a white glove lady so I got to see it a lot. I turned the quilt to the back a lot. I kept telling everyone to look close at the quilting. There were hidden treasures to find in the quilting.
I am heartbroken to hear of this huge loss.
I hope by spreading the word your work will be found. Make it become as visible as you can.
Hopefully someone will know who has it.
Post photos to Craigslist in the are of the show.
Take the images toTwitter and all social media.
Best wishes,
Patricia Hecker
I have also had work stolen from a quilt store. I received very minor compensation, as the piece was not appraised nor insured. I hope you have luck in locating the culprits, and they are charged and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
In the meantime, I will say your work is wonderful! Keep making art!
Cindy,
I am heartbroken to learn your pieces were stolen. I know how much love and creativity went into each. It is truly shocking to learn of this theft. I have shared it on Facebook and asked people to help. They are so beautiful and unique that hopefully they will be spotted in a gallery or home soon. As the first overnight tented art show will soon be taking place it is a good word of caution to all participating.
Thank you for sharing this traumatic event with us.
We are all praying for their return to you soon.
Outrageous!!! Why, oh why do people need to steal and such wonderful and special possessions? I will certainly keep an eye out for these beautiful quilts and let’s hope ALL are found soon.
Oh, Cindy! How absolutely horrible! I’m soooo sorry. I will spread it around. 🙁
I’m soooo sorry! That is horrible and disgraceful someone would steal another person’s work after much effort was put forth by you. Hope the criminal is found and prosecuted!
What a bummer. Your work is stunning. Maybe it would help if you could post a sketch of the two of which you do not have pictures. Will repost.
Cindy, this is just awful. I had wondered how vendors secured the contents of their booths overnight since unlike in an exhibition hall with locked doors they were in the open air, but assumed there were security patrols. I guess not. Were other booths broken into, or just yours? I am so very sorry.
Cindy –
So sorry to hear about your stolen quilts. Your work is beautiful; so I can understand why someone would want to possess it – but not to steal it!
Oh Cindy, I am so sorry to hear this! I hope they can be returned to you soon, in good condition.
Sorry that some spineless coward stole your gorgeous quilts. Hope that you either get them back, or the aftermath of publicity miraculously offers you up something even better! Good luck.
This is really sad! I am so sorry this has happened to you.
This is so sad. I know how much creativity, time and love you put into each of these beautiful pieces of art. I hope they are returned to you soon.
I will spread the word.
Please tell me the location in Virginia; it’s rather a large state. I’m a resident and I will be glad to post your story, but a location would be most helpful.
What goes around comes around – God will see to that. Hope your art pieces are returned quickly.
I have shared two of your pieces on my Pinterest board for fiber art. I hope that helps. I also have, on the same board, images of two quilts belonging to a friend of mine that were either lost in shipping to a show or were stolen. I can only hope that someday someone will recognize the image(s) and come forth with information.
Yes, where in VA? I live in Charlottesville. I will keep an eye out in the local art shows and quilting shops.
I am so sorry this happened, Cindy! I hope you get these pieces back or get some kind of recompense for them.
Your work is beautiful and I admire you for entering so many shows. Hope you will keep on going and that this will be resolved.